A brief New York Times interview with Bill Porter, author of Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits and the most recent book Yellow River Odyssey.
For decades, Porter had been an indigent translator and commentator of ancient Chinese texts, but now that his books (chiefly about historical China and conversations with people he encounters in his travels) are being sold in Chinese translation in China to great popular reception, Porter is economically better off.
He plans to retire after one last book.
URL: http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/17/q-and-a-bill-porter-on-travel-writing-in-china/